Rusty
Purveyor of Fine Weaponry
Image Source
Intent: To create a personal weapon for [member="Jansal Corego"]
Development Thread: If Necessary
Manufacturer: Rusty's Custom Firearms and Cutlery
Model: N/A
Affiliation: [member="Jansal Corego"]
Modularity: Muzzle break may be swapped out for suppressor, though doing so requires tool kit
Production: Unique
Material: High strength durasteel, alusteel, plastoid, carbon fiber, slugthrower components, coil gun components, infrared laser rangefinder, microprocessor, optics components, inertial damper
Classification: Slugthrower/Coil Gun Hybrid
Size: Man Portable
Length: 1.58 meters
Weight: 17 kilograms
Ammunition Type: .50 caliber caseless ammunition
Ammunition Capacity: 10 rounds in integrated magazine/power cell
Effective Range: 3,000 meters at maximum velocity
Rate of Fire: Semiautomatic
Special Features: Smart optic works in conjunction with infrared laser rangefinder to predict point of impact, hybrid slugthrower/coil gun configuration allows for variable muzzle velocity depending range and target type, integral inertial damper reduces recoil to manageable levels
Strengths:
- Custom smart optics allow the weapon to predict the projectile's point of impact.
- Variable output coil gun components in barrel allow the weapon to automatically adjust muzzle velocity to deliver optimum impact energy on target while keeping recoil to manageable levels. If you don't need to smack an unarmored target at 150 meters at maximum velocity, it dials down the power output accordingly. Also features a manual mode that allows shooter to select one of 4 preset muzzle velocities.
- Lowest power setting has a muzzle velocity of 250 meters per second. Since this means the round is subsonic, it can effectively be suppressed, which makes the weapon stealthy indeed. Reduced range in subsonic mode.
- Use of caseless ammunition reduces the mass per round and allows the shooter to carry more ammo for the same weight.
- Inertial damper reduces recoil. To save power, its output scales to the muzzle velocity to allow for consistent recoil at all settings.
- Weapon is complex. Maintenance beyond basic cleaning requires a tool kit. More complex repairs will require a trip to the shop.
- The inertial damper is a power hog. At maximum velocity, the integrated power cell will need to be recharged after 100 shots. Without the inertial damper, at maximum velocity, the weapon can potentially injure the shooter.
- Coil gun components operated from power cells built into the magazines. Magazines must be recharged after use before being reloaded, unless weapon is operating in stealth mode. Weapon comes with quick charger for magazines, but the charger can be difficult to use under fire.
- Stealth mode has no armor penetrative capabilities whatsoever. Furthermore, effective range is reduced to about 300 meters. Use with caution.
- Infrared laser from rangefinder can be viewed through FLIR optics and can give away the shooter's position. Rangefinder can be turned off, but doing so will deactivate automatic velocity adjustment and point of impact prediction.
- Laser from rangefinder is potentially dangerous to eyesight at close ranges. Shooter is advised to wear eye protection and be mindful of what they point it at.
Description: This particular weapon bears no model number or name. It is a technological demonstrator built for RCFC's newest employee. If it's successful in the field, the technologies used in it might find their way into production weapons.
The weapon is a hybrid between a standard slugthrower and a coil gun. The .50 caliber caseless ammunition relies on chemical propellant to give it the initial velocity, and is further accelerated by the coil gun components. Muzzle velocity is scalable for both range and target type. The scaling can be handled automatically by the weapon. When the laser rangefinder is active, it determines the range to the target, and software within the optic compares the image of the scanned target to a database that determines, in broad terms, what the shooter is dealing with. It's not capable of determining the exact type of vehicle or personal armor the shooter is aiming at, but it can tell if it's pointed at a vehicle, and is capable of discerning whether or not a humanoid target is wearing armor, so long as the armor isn't discreet. Once it determines the range and approximate type of target, it selects the most effective muzzle velocity. This process takes between 1-3 seconds, depending on range, visibility, etc. An icon in the optic will notify the shooter when the weapon is ready.
The shooter may also select one of four preset muzzle velocities vial a dial on the weapon. The shooter can adjust the settings when they have time to connect a datapad to the weapon, but doing so is not advisable in a combat scenario.
The built in inertial damper also scales power output to match the velocity of the round, adjusting on the fly to deliver consistent recoil to the shooter. Unlike the muzzle velocity, the damper does not come with presets. The shooter must determine how much recoil they want to deal with before the engagement. It is adjustable through the same datapad used to determine the velocity presets.
The inertial damper is a power hog. It has its own dedicated power cell, which adds considerably to the weight of the weapon. The power cell throws off the balance of the weapon, making it difficult to handle unless fired from the prone supported. Furthermore, it must be recharged at regular intervals. For normal usage, it can typically last for about a day before needing to be recharged. At maximum output, it is rated for 100 shots.
The weapon is fed through detachable 10 round box magazines. Since the weapon uses caseless ammunition, there's plenty of room for the integrated power cells that power the coil gun components. Though the magazines are reusable, they must be recharged between uses. The weapon comes with a quick charging kit that brings the magazine's cells up to full charge in about a minute, but there's rarely room in a firefight for something as fiddly as hooking up a magazine to a charger. Furthermore, the power cells represent a potential hazard to the shooter if hit by incoming fire. Each one is capable of exploding with the force of a small hand grenade, and if it's loaded when struck, the shooter not only has to contend with the primary explosion, but with the force of several ounces of propellant exploding as well.
At its lowest muzzle velocity, the coil gun portion is not engaged. The round will leave the barrel travelling at subsonic velocities. Since a round travelling slower than the speed of sound will not create the distinctive crack with its passage, the weapon may be suppressed and used as a stealthy sniper rifle. This stealth mode reduces the effective range of the weapon to 300 meters, and lacks any sort of armor penetration. However, a 600 grain .50 caliber bullet is still devastatingly effective against unarmored flesh, and the impact prediction software makes it extremely accurate, allowing the shooter to target weak points on an armored target.
The impact prediction software must be zeroed before it can be used accurately. This requires a trip to the firing range and a lot of patience. For optimal effectiveness, it must be rezeroed periodically, otherwise it has the potential to drift off zero after extensive use. As a rule of thumb, it must be rezeroed every three months, though heavy use may require more frequent zeroing.
This is not a small weapon, nor is it a light one. It is best employed from a fixed position, and its size combined with balance issues make it a nightmare for use in close quarters. It can be done, but doing so is extremely ill advised.
Primary Source: N/A
